University of Delaware Office of Public Relations The Messenger Vol. 5, No. 3/1996 Birth of a Salesman On the set of the QVC cable television shopping network in West Chester, Pa., Bob Bowersox, Delaware '91, promises quality, value and convenience to millions of shop-at-home viewers, while selling everything from screwdrivers to Kenny Rogers CDs. Bowersox takes calls from viewers, making them feel at home in his living room set. From the eye of this marketing storm, his voice assures the consumer that a great new product is only a phone call away. "It's a very high-stress gig, but the key is to make it look like it's easygoing," says Bowersox. Even after years of experience in broadcasting and the entertainment industry, there is a special challenge involved in his position as QVC senior program host-a job he's held since 1986 when QVC first went on the air. "How often do you get a chance to get in on the ground floor of a new company?" he asks. "Not very often. How often do you get to be in on the beginning of a whole new industry? It's been a rocket ship since day one. We're breaking ground here." Before each live broadcast, Bowersox makes sure he has carefully researched all of the products he will sell in a three- hour show. His experience as host of his own radio program on WSTW-FM in Wilmington, Del., and as anchor of a news show on WNS- TV, New Castle County, Del., cable, allows him to make the most out of his camera time. In an industry where thousands of dollars are made or lost each minute, there is not a second to lose. "I'm talking to 52 million households at any one time," he says, "but, in reality, I'm talking to you. I never talk in plurals, I always talk in the singular. 'How would you like to have this?' When I first started here, I pretended I was talking to my mom or my sister. Every time you mention a feature of a product, you have to paint a picture of how that feature benefits someone. Everything you say should sell the product somehow. "I'm the perfect example of a multicareer person," Bowersox says. During the late '60s, he dropped out of UD to pursue a career in music, recording one album for Columbia Records and touring the country. Then, his interest in the business side of music led him to a degree in audio engineering/studio technology. Subsequently, he returned to Delaware, where he apprenticed with a top chef and opened his own restaurant, the Crepe Chalet. In 1975, Bowersox returned to the University to study for a B.A. in journalism, a degree that took him 16 years to complete. He also started Fine Times Magazine, a pop music magazine for the Delaware/Philadelphia area, and wrote an entertainment column for The News Journal newspaper in Wilmington. But, his love of cooking and performance brought Bowersox his biggest success. He combines both interests for a winning recipe on QVC, where his "In The Kitchen With Bob" cooking program is the top-rated cable show in its time slot. The companion cookbook also set an industry record, selling 156,000 copies on its first day. " I'm just a guy who likes to cook and talks while he cooks," he says. With the opportunity and audience QVC provides him, Bowersox says he believes he's found his niche. "I'm a performer, always have been," he says. "But, there's a lot of planning that goes into making something look natural. A lot of people say I'm an overnight sensation on QVC. I've been doing this since I was 16 years old. I'd given up on being a professional performer in any way, but since QVC, I've been in three movies and a bunch of commercials. It's funny how things happen." Up next for Bowersox may be a return to serious writing. He recently completed a novel and has been asked to write a book about QVC. For now, though, he says he plans to continue selling and cooking at the television shopping network. "It's a very odd gig," he says. "I don't think I've ever worked harder anywhere in my life. It's very intense, but there's something that's keeping me here. I think it's the electricity." -Martin Duncan